body shop tried to pull a fast one....opinions?

[jmpen]

Picked up my 14 sierra yesterday from a local body shop who has done work for me in the past. I had D side front fender damage from a deer strike. Get the truck , new fender looks great. Driving about an hour out of town and i start getting a rt rear blinker error along with rapid flasher sound. All the damage was on the drivers side when the truck went in for repair. Stop for gas and walk around to look at tail light and notice rt taillight is sticking out about a 1/4 inch at the top. Call body shop and ask if they had any mishaps i needed to know about and he states that they probably had the taillight out checking all of my bulbs because i had a sidemarker out on the front. Tells me to bring it in monday morning and they will put it back in. I again ask if any damage was done while it was in for service and he says no. About a half hour later i get a call from the service manager and he tells me he did some digging and they "scratched" my bedside while backing it in the bay. Says that they pulled the taillight out to fix the scratch. I asked why i wasnt notified immediately or at least when i picked the truck up and got nothing. Going in monday for a face to face. How do i know that my bedside wasnt caved in during the "scratch". How should i handle this?

[Spurshot]

Be respectful and look the manager in the eyes unblinking.

 

Before you go to the shop, crawl under your truck behind the rear tire and look up into the area between the outer quarter panel and the bed. Use a flashlight.

 

Remember. .. shit happens.

[jmpen]

i know shit happens but all it would have taken was a phone call telling me what happened. I would have like to have seen it so i know what was repaired. Hell maybe i would have taken it somewhere else and had them pay for it. i should have had the option

[diannabill]

If you're happy with the repairs after your taillight is fixed, you haven't been "harmed" by the body shop. If it was me, and they did a repair so that I would have never known, I'd be happy.

[NARDA1]

Ask for pictures of the damage. More than likely they took some.

[Spurshot]

i know shit happens but all it would have taken was a phone call telling me what happened. I would have like to have seen it so i know what was repaired. Hell maybe i would have taken it somewhere else and had them pay for it. i should have had the option

 

Hey, you asked. What do YOU want to do? What happened is now past. You are obviously looking for something more. Free fix for your deer damage? Store credit? Free wax job? Dinner for two at Mortons? This is your gig. Nobody here can tell you what it will take to make peace with this shop. Let us know, it's always interesting to hear.

[Spurshot]

Ask for pictures of the damage. More than likely they took some.

 

[jmpen]

im not looking for anything free. it just burns me up that they tried to pull a 3rd grade trick and not tell me. Like i said all it would have taken was them letting me know. i crawled under the truck and i have masking tape and buffing compound from the tailgate to the front of the bed. looks like it was more than a scratch

[keakar]

im not looking for anything free. it just burns me up that they tried to pull a 3rd grade trick and not tell me. Like i said all it would have taken was them letting me know. i crawled under the truck and i have masking tape and buffing compound from the tailgate to the front of the bed. looks like it was more than a scratch

well it could have just been a scratch but they cant spot paint it or it would stick out like a sore thumb so the only "proper" way to fix a scratch like that is to scuff the whole bed side and repaint it from front by the cab to the end at the tail gate.

 

my guess is from the description I would expect it was likely about a 12" scratch or so, that's usually what it takes in reaction time at idle (I assume) to notice and stop backing into something.

 

if I were you I would remove the tail light yourself and inspect it to be sure it isn't cracked around the tabs or mounting clips (very common) and put back on anyway because it cant be seen (also very common) so you want to be sure its all 100% restored to original and you don't have a broken tab crack off later causing a loose tail light you have to pay for yourself. they tried to hid a major repair so don't trust them not to be trying to reuse a damaged tail light hoping you don't notice.

 

as to the rest, well they sound like a shady operation trying to hide it from you so I wouldn't use them anymore for fear of what other things go on there.

[Spurshot]

Take it to a different body shop or get a knowledgeable person to look at the work, inside and out and determine what was done. If the work was done properly, you may decide to accept it, but I'd get the shop that did the work to guarantee the work and paint for as long as you have the truck.

[jmpen]

thanks guys. Besides the fact that my taillight is crooked and i have a blinker failure i would have never known. The sad part is that this place is "the go to" auto body shop in the area, and i had to wait to get my truck in because of that.

[klrrdr]

Can't trust anyone. I took a Murano in for an oil change at a tire place. After it was done the guy takes my money then says,"oh the tech put a small scratch in the bumper". We go out to look,there is a hole in the bumper,a pumpkin size dent in the hood the headlight is cracked in half,the front fender is pushed in and has a big kink over the wheel. I said(more screamed) This is one hell of a scratch. He tried to deny this was done here. lucky i took a picture about 20 minutes before,trying out a new phone. Turns out the guy hit some big machine that toppled and fell on the car. The kid finally admitted to it. $2500 in damage. Got all new parts,truck only had 3500 miles on it. Went and got estimate at nissan body shop,and went right back to shop and he wrote me a check right there. Had a dodge in at a dodge shop for oil. get it back stopped at bank. On the way to the truck I see the reflection on the pass. side in a store window. From the bumper back to the middle of the back door was all pushed in and yellow. Went back again "we did not do that.' The manager called the guy in and said what bay were you in he says 3 so we march off to three and the yellow pole is prefect. I walk 2 bays down and there is a yellow pole all scraped and full of silver paint. Manager tells the guy he is fired get out. Took my truck to the body shop gave me a brand new truck to drive. When it was done they gave me $500 for the BS. Now I insist on a walk around before and after.

[j-ten-ner]

If you're happy with the repairs after your taillight is fixed, you haven't been "harmed" by the body shop. If it was me, and they did a repair so that I would have never known, I'd be happy.

And customers like you are the reason why they think they can get away with shit like that.

 

@ OP

Insatll a recording device. Comes in handy once in a while.

You should have seen the look in the face of the service mechanic after he discovered the dash cam.

Like a reindeer in the head lights...lol.

I could almost see his brain waves trying to recall any mistakes he might have done.

And then see the relief when he figured there were none. loooool

 

so long

j-ten-ner

[diannabill]

And customers like you are the reason why they think they can get away with shit like that.

 

@ OP

Insatll a recording device. Comes in handy once in a while.

You should have seen the look in the face of the service mechanic after he discovered the dash cam.

Like a reindeer in the head lights...lol.

I could almost see his brain waves trying to recall any mistakes he might have done.

And then see the relief when he figured there were none. loooool

 

so long

j-ten-ner

No - I'm just a realistic person who understands that sometimes *hit does happen. I'm not condoning the deception at all. All I'm saying is even if they had been upfront with the OP, the repair would still have to be made and be made satisfactorily. What the hell else can you do - sue them? If the repairs are done right, you have been made whole.

 

I probably wouldn't go back to this body shop, and the OP probably won't, but life's too short to get all balled up everytime I get a little irritated at someone.

 

OP - Let your dealer take a look at it after you get it completely fixed, find a new body shop, and move on.

[Rewillia]

that's why it pays to always do a walk around inspection of your vehicle anytime you leave it with a 3rd party including dealerships who in particular rely upon min, wage laborers as porters to wash vehicles, drive and position them on the lots. never drive away without inspecting both interior and exterior.

 

lot easier to deal with while your there than to notice and call or go back with a complaint

 

my own experiences have taught me that.